Have you signed and shared the petition against the use of glyphosate in Auckland?

Website editor’s note: The message below is from Georgina Blackmore who is one of the campaigners against the use of the herbicide glyphosate (now classified as a probable carcinogen) in in streets and parks in Auckland.

Dear Friends,

Only a few days from now I will be presenting our petition to ban glyphosate on Auckland Roads and Parks and I need to ask you a small favour…

On Tuesday 28th June 2016 at 3.30pm I will be meeting with Mayor Len Brown and I will discuss with him our concerns about the risks that glyphosate poses to our health, our animals and our environment. I will discuss with him how the rest of the world is moving away from chemicals in public spaces and how we have effective, affordable and healthy alternatives available, right now.

You are a big part of this

You are one of 3,302 people who have signed our petition so far – and that’s a big number! But the bigger the better, right?

Just yesterday, Christchurch City Council agreed to phase out the use of chemicals on public spaces and the day before that Rotorua Lakes Council agreed to look at chemical alternatives. Tauranga and Hastings have already begun to trial alternatives. What does this tell us? Our representatives are listening.

All over the world, councils, cities and even whole countries are banning or restricting glyphosate.

Over the last month, the EU parliament has been unable to gain a required majority to vote for the extension of the license approval for glyphosate twice. Today (Friday, 24 June 2016) glyphosate will be facing a third and final vote. If democracy prevails and that approval fails to go through, then the whole of the EU will have to phase out glyphosate within 6 months!

These changes didn’t happen spontaneously. They were the result of grass-roots movements springing up in New Zealand and all over the world.

These results are because people like you signed petitions, sent submissions, talked to their local councils and MP’s and engaging in meaningful debate about the available alternatives.

So, please help us make Auckland the next Council to join this movement and write to your friends, share on social media and tell them why it’s more important than ever that we have their support.

Why not also tell your friends why you decided to sign the petition and why it’s important to you – people are more likely to offer their support if they understand why the people they are close to support it too!